SNM: Fire Near Krasna Horka Did Not Put Castle in Danger

Krasnohorske Podhradie/Bratislava, 6 March (TASR) - Krasna Horka Castle was not endangered by a fire that broke out on Friday in the village of Krasnohorske Podhradie (Kosice region), according to a statement from the Slovak National Museum (SNM) provided to TASR by SNM head of marketing and communications Barbora Zajackova on the same day.

She said the SNM was informed about the fire in the afternoon. Citing the operations centre of the Regional Directorate of the Firefighter and Rescue Service in Kosice, she said the fire affected grass and shrub vegetation in the area of Hradna Street, covering roughly 50 by 50 metres.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze.

"The national cultural monument Krasna Horka Castle was not endangered by this incident," said Zajackova, adding that SNM director general Vieroslava Bernatova had tasked a museum employee with checking the situation on site and monitoring it until the causes of the fire are clarified.

"At the same time, if necessary, the SNM will provide full cooperation to law enforcement authorities in investigating the circumstances of the incident," Zajackova added.

According to Krasnohorske Podhradie mayor Stefan Kun, the fire broke out on the castle hill but not close to the castle. He noted that it started on the opposite side of the hill compared with 10 March 2012, when a grassland fire on the castle hill spread to Krasna Horka Castle itself and destroyed it.